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Marcela didn’t answer.
“How much did it cost?”
“Enough up front to show I was serious. They took my pictures. My head and my body. Clothes on. One week later I heard back that I had to leave that night. I had one bag. They took me to the airport. I was allowed to leave Honduras but I worried how I would be allowed into America. The man and woman escorting me told me not to worry. Everything had been covered by my new employer. They told me I would have a visa as long as I kept Ms. Lister happy.”
“Did she meet you at the airport?”
“No. I didn’t meet her until I came to her house. She gave me a room. Next day, I began work as a maid. Since the beginning, I thought it was something like that. I didn’t mind.”
“When did, uh…thisbegin?”
Marcela sighed, weak. “One week later. I noticed my passport missing and asked her about it. She had taken it. Locked it up. She showed me how much money she had paid for me to come to America. Told me that my wage was not enough to pay her back because she was charging me interest for the loan. I had to do another job.”
Vanessa almost left the room. Mitch was stalwart in her decision to stay behind.
“She told me how pretty I was. That many people, men and women, would pay good money to sleep with me. I could travel the world soon. Live a good life. Learn… learn a skill.”
Marcela broke down crying. Vanessa didn’t stay much longer. She didn’t want to get to the part where Candace personally oversaw Marcela’s “training” to become one of the best girls on her roster and pay her back in flesh and blood.
She needed to throw up instead.
Their new guest was told to stay in the house through Christmas, with Agent James calling daily and sending over other agents undercover to continue interviewing and relaying information. Originally, Vanessa was to go with Mitch to Sacramento for Christmas, but she opted to stay home. They both agreed that someone should be in the house to not only keep an eye on Marcela but to possibly intercept any surprise visitors. Since it was Mitch’s family in Sacramento, Vanessa stayed.
She did her best to ensure Marcela’s comfort, both when she was alone in her room and when the agents stopped by to continue their interviews. Naturally, Marcela was terrified that she would be deported and, after everything she had been through both before and after her leaving, Vanessa couldn’t blame her. During a phone call with Agent James on Christmas Eve, she confirmed that she had looked into the true visa status of Marcela Riviera Perez and discovered that it was legal.Marcela has a long road ahead of her, but here’s hoping it’ll help.
Vanessa didn’t bring it up with the poor young woman until Christmas dinner, which they shared, alone.
“I only want this to be over,” Marcela said, picking at the Christmas roast. “I knew when I went to those people that it was going to be hard. But I knew English, and I’m not someone easily scared. But… that woman. She scares me.”
Her tone implied something greater than “scare.”Terrified.Vanessa understood it well. She had never been in Marcela’s exact position, but she knew terror.Fretting for your own life because of some madwoman… I know it well.Being around Marcela reminded Vanessa of that awful night locked up in her safe room with the head of her cyber security, a woman she trusted. It wasn’t until Mitch heroically arrived to save her that Vanessa truly knew safety.
“I’m not sure what else you can do,” Vanessa said. “We’re only doing this because the FBI has… something on us. Bit of blackmail, if you would. Yet I know that Mitch is incredibly invested in justice. It’s one of the things I love about her.”
Marcela sighed. She didn’t have much of an appetite. “You’re very kind to me. I don’t know how to… think of it right now. I was ready for many terrible things this week.”
“I’m sure you were. Is the roast not up to standard?”
“I can’t eat much thinking of what the others are…”
“Then don’t think. Just eat.” Vanessa’s fork unceremoniously scraped on her plate. “And Merry Christmas.”
Mitch didn’t go straight home from Sacramento. While she did return to the Bay Area promptly, she texted Vanessa that she decided to stay behind a couple more hours to help her mother change the oil in her car.
Because Mitch had her own people to talk to.
“How could you two stand by and let that happen?” Mitch demanded of the pair hanging out in the back of the Castro bar. Jade had arrived by car from her sojourn to her dad’s house in Medford, Oregon, and Stella had flown in from Portland under an assumed name granted to her by the FBI. Their quick vacation from being undercover was over. Candace wasn’t due back in town for another week, but they had to keep the charade in case plans changed. “One by one they marched out of there to… well, you know!”
Jade often kept quiet, which infuriated Mitch when she had a passion to share.Don’t go on about military stereotypes, either.Which was probably why Stella was the one to answer because she had none of that to contend with.
“Do what?” She kicked up her feet atop the table in the corner of the room. “You think we enjoy what we’ve seen in there? Honey, I’m immune to you prancing around naked now.”
“No she ain’t,” Jade said with a snort. “She talks about your breasts all the time.”
“I’m sorry, they’re great! Never thought I’d meet a woman who made me look down at my own pair like they had disappointed me, yet here we are.”
Mitch wasn’t amused. “When is this going to be over? There has to be a nearby future where that bitch is in jail.”
“What do you think all of this has been for?” Stella may have been lighthearted during most of her interactions with Mitch, but right now? The professional in her was coming out. “Why do you think Jade and I wanted nothing to do with this? The only reason we agreed…”
